Improved car-coupling



Patented Aug 21. 1866.

Inventor D. B. SNYDER.

Car Coupling.

Witnesses: WMM zzlly wl/ Ni inn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

D. B. SNYDER, OF MILLVILLE, NEIV JERSEY.

IMPROVED CAR-COUPLING.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 57,397, dated August 21, 1866.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, D. B. SNYDER, of MilL lle, (Jumberland county, New Jersey, have invented certain Improvements in Gar-Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention consists of certain devices, fully described hereinafter, whereby railwaycars can be quickly connected to and detached from each other without the annoying and sometimes dangerous delays which occur when the ordinary couplings are employed.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation.

()n reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figures 1 and 2 are sectional elevations, showin g one of the platforms of a railway-car with my improved coupling device. Fig. 3 is asection on the line 1 2, Fig. 1; and Fig. 4, a section on the line 3 4:, Fig. 2.

Arepresents a portion of the front platform of a railroad-car, beneath which is suspended a buffer, B. In the interior of the buffer, near the front end of the same, are projections a a c and a cross-piece, b, the adjacent sides of which are so shapedas to form a chamber or socket, X, gradually contracting in diameter toward the rear end, and adapted for the reception of one end of a coupling-bar, D. The coupling-bar D is sharpened at each end, and is so cut away as to form two shoulders, w 00, for a purpose described hereinafter.

Within the buffer is hung a lever, E, which has an inclined outer end and a shoulder, 00, the end of the lever, when the latter is at the limit of its downward motion, projecting into the socket X.

In brackets at the under side of the platform A turns a shaft, G, to which is secured a double cam, c, and at the upper edge of the lever E is a slotted projection, d, with the cross-piece g, at the upper end of which engage the arms of the cam c, for a purpose described hereinafter.

At one end of the shaft G is a cog-wheel, H, to the teeth of which are adapted those of a pinion, I, on a vertical shaft, J, the latter inclined end of the-lever E, and raising the latter until the shoulder 00 of the bar passes the shoulder 00 of the lever, when the latter will fall to the position shown in Fig. 1, the shoulders 00 as being in contact, and the withdrawal of the bar being thus prevented.

\Vhen two cars are brought together the end of the bar projecting from one buffer will be introduced into the buffer in the opposite car until its shoulder 00 is brought in contact with the shoulder as of the lever in a manner similar to that above described, when the two cars will be securely coupled together.

In order to prevent the lever E from being thrown upward out of contact with the bar by the jolting of the car, the attendant turns the shaft J in the direction of its arrow, so as to bring one of the arms of the double cam 0 against the upper side of the cross-piece g of the projection d. The pawl e is. now brought into contact with the ratchet-wheel M, so that the shafts and lever are prevented from moving from their position.

When it is desired to uncouple the cars the attendant turns the shaft J, so that one of the arms of the cam c is brought against the under side of the crosspiece g of the projection d, the front end of the lever E being thus elevated to the position shown in Fig. 2, when the bar may be readily withdrawn.

By the use of the above-described devices the cars can be coupled and disconnected without the annoying and sometimes dangerous delays which occur when the usual couplings are employed, while the labor of several at tendants is dispensed with.

Although I have described a bar, D, as being used with this device, it will be apparent that an ordinary link may be substituted for the same.

It willalso be apparent that other means than those described may be employed for raising the lever E without departing from the main features of my invention.

Without confining myself to the precise construction and arrangement of parts herein described, I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent I 1. The buffer B, with its socket X and lever E, constructed and adapted for the reception 

